Reunion Island, a French overseas region, has a population of 784000 inhabitants and an annual GNP of 44 million euros, making it the country in the southern Indian Ocean with the highest purchasing power per capita. The island has a very young population (56% are under 30) with a high standard of education and training.

Reunion Island has extensive port, airport, road and telecommunication infrastructures that meet European standards and that rank it as a major economic player in the region. The local economy includes a primary sector dominated by sugar cane growing, a secondary sector whose main added value is provided by the agrifood industry and a tertiary sector that has become the island’s main employer (administration and commercial department).

The primary sector (agriculture and fisheries) accounts for 4% of total added value. Agriculture is dominated by the sugar cane crops which cover half of all arable land. Food crops (local market) or export crops (tropical fruits, vanilla and flowers) which offer high growth potential are also grown. Industrial fisheries has expanded since 1992 with profitable exports of products with high added value to European and Asian markets, The latter sector also offers major growth potential in the years ahead. (Source adreunion)

PORT HARBOR: maritime hub in the Indian Ocean

Human and material capacity for the freight and stock of goods Annual traffic of more than 3 millions of tons 3 rd French harbor container

2 International Airports

Rolland Garros and Pierrefonds

More than 1.5 million passengers and 25000 tons of freight

More than 20 direct flights to Europe every week Regular connexion flights to the Indian Ocean zone: South Africa, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mayotte, Comoros, Seychelles, Thailand and soon Australia

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Satellite liaison (Eutelsat W2)
High speed capacity access to the SAFE (South African Far East) cable

TRANSPORTATION

Tamarin Road (34km highway 2x2, 120 bridges, viaduct, 3 tunnels)

Tram Train: collective tramway modern and performant – North East phase of 40 km to
be delivered in 2013

Equipment and buildings with high environmental quality

The objective is to operate a strategic change by opening Reunion economy to new markets and ways of development based on our unique assets of European Region in the Indian Ocean

- By opening new markets for Reunion within its regional environment and by promoting co development

- Reunion Regional Council signed cooperation agreement with 17 countries of its regional environment as well as for multilateral cooperation (COI, COMESA…). This co development is active in different sectors: economy, culture, education, sports…

- Develop High Tech industry in order to make Reunion a referential platform in the Indian Ocean. By 2010, the objective is to equip the entire territory with high speed capacity

- Favor technological innovation, bio technology, position Reunion in the nano technology sector

- Open niche market with high added value, such as the “bourbon cocoa” culture and the structuralisation of the market “aromatic and medicinal plants”